Although Robert Pasuta was absent, the vote is unlikely to be overturned when it goes to council for approval next Wednesday. Pasuta, himself a man of few words, says he’ll support the cap. After all, it reflects his own philosophy: “Think about what you’re going to say and don’t blabber on because who listens?” (Source: Andrew Dreschel, Hamilton Spectator)

Hamilton councillors offer civic rings to former colleagues

Should former Hamilton councillors Brad Clark and Scott Duvall be recognized for their political service to the community?

Mountain councillor Tom Jackson said he “felt bad” those former politicians didn’t receive some acknowledgment for their years of sacrifice from the city and council.

It was one of the reasons why Jackson supported a city staff recommendation to update a policy to give departing, retiring or deceased councillors a civic ring.

March 10, 2011

Rose Caterina, city clerk, said the policy wasn’t updated for council’s 2010-to-2014 term, which meant Clark, who didn’t run for re-election in Ward 9 in 2014 but instead ran for mayor and lost to Mayor Fred Eisenberger, didn’t receive a ring.

Duvall, who was re-elected in Ward 7 but resigned after becoming the Hamilton Mountain NDP MP, also didn’t receive a ring.

Jackson defended the city providing civic rings to former councillors, saying it is some form of recognition of their hard work on behalf of the community.

“This is nothing ostentatious at all,” said Jackson, who spoke on behalf of issuing civic rings during the May 30 governance review subcommittee. “This is just a small way of saying thanks for the many years of service.”

The subcommittee approved the recommendation to provide civic rings to outgoing, retiring and deceased councillors. About $5,000 per term would be allocated to purchase the rings. Councillors Maria Pearson and Ancaster councillor Lloyd Ferguson both supported the idea. (Source: Hamilton News)

Killing rats and licensing cats

Merulla’s idea is to expand the local SPCA’s program of trapping, neutering and returning stray cats to the street by strategically placing feral colonies in rodential hot spots.

“If you have an abundance of cats in those areas, those mice and rats are dealt with quite efficiently,” he says.

Last year, the SPCA’s trap-neuter-return (TNR) program treated 355 cats deemed unsuitable for adoption. So far this year, 34 cats have also become program alumni.

Widely-practised across North America, TNR is a humane way of managing fast-breeding wild cat populations and reducing euthanasia rates. But Merulla, a member of the SPCA’s board of directors, wants it ramped up and run by the city’s animal control services in partnership with the SPCA.

The idea came to him when the public health department recently identified rat infestations as an emerging priority and service demand during its budget presentation to council.

According to Merulla, it feeds into the motion he’s bringing to Wednesday’s council meeting for a study on licensing cats to promote responsible pet ownership, control overpopulation, and shave big dollars off the tax levy.

Currently, dogs in Hamilton require licensing but not cats. If they were, Merulla says the revenue could be used to grow TNR and other programs aimed at reducing euthanasia as much a humanly possible.

“The No.1 objective and purpose of all this is to hit the same target as Calgary and become one of the lowest kill-rate cities on the entire continent.”

The Hamilton-Burlington SPCA does not kill cats or dogs. That’s done by city-operated Animal Services, where both intake and death rates for cats is vastly higher than for dogs. (Continued: Hamilton Spectator)

Shovegate commemoration as a possible city beautification plan

Sanctions or no sanctions, Sam Merulla wants city council to rescind fellow councillor Lloyd Ferguson’s appointment to the Hamilton Police Services Board.

Merulla issued a notice of motion Sunday, seeking a second opinion on a report released last week by the city’s integrity commissioner, Earl Basse, into a pushing incident involving Ferguson at City Hall last year.

In the report, Basse determined Ferguson had violated council’s code of conduct when he pushed independent journalist Joey Coleman.

Merulla calls it “outrageous” that the integrity commissioner didn’t recommend sanctions against Ferguson.

He’d also like a “third party police service such as the Ontario Provincial Police” to investigate the matter.

In the meantime, he’d like to see Ferguson — who is chair of the police board — step down as chair of the board.

“Anyone that admits assault I don’t think is deserving of being on the police board,” Merulla said Sunday, referring to Ferguson’s apology the day after the incident.

But Ferguson — who represents Ancaster — says it was not assault and he did not admit to any assault. (Source: Hamilton Spectator)

Meanwhile, the plaza at the entrance to Jackson Square was reimagined by a group of digital designers participating in the first Embrace UX conference in Hamilton on the weekend.

UX stands for user experience and the sold-out conference drew more than 110 participants from near and wide to talk about how to better connect products and services with those using them.

Groups of designers spent hours at the Pearl Company on Sunday pondering the important piece of real estate at the corner of King and James. They were told they had to incorporate the large concrete pillar that once held the Birk’s Clock but now stands forlornly at the base of the stairs to the underused rooftop patio on top of the mall.

Jackson Square leasing manager Jocelyne Mainville talked to the groups about the existing use of the plaza and aspirations for the entrance to the mall.

“They all zeroed in on the same problem, which is that this is a high-profile intersection but the mall entrance is so understated as to be invisible,” said workshop leader Ryan McGreal, editor of Raise the Hammer.

“Then there is a staircase that goes to a place you can’t see, which is intimidating.”

Suggestions included adding a canopy or archway that would define the entry. One group suggested the concrete pillar could become a water feature. Another suggested it should be an interactive way-finding tool that could provide maps or restaurant information.

Another group recommended the pole be programmable so would activate lights and music as pedestrians travelled the staircase. (Source: Hamilton Spectator)

Ferguson says a #shovegate cartoon from @mackaycartoons w everyone piling convinced him that this was distracting council & had to end

Larry Di Ianni not running for Hamilton mayor

Former Hamilton mayor Larry Di Ianni says staying out of the race for the city’s top job has been, “in some respects, the hardest decision that I’ve made.”

It will be the first time since 1982 that the former school teacher and principal has not been on a political ballot. He says after his loss to Mayor Bob Bratina in 2010, he figured he was done in local politics.

“But politics is a bit of a drug. Whenever there’s an election, the urge comes back.”

Di Ianni made the announcement Friday morning on Twitter. He also posted a statement on his Facebook page that outlined what he considers his political achievements, including the Red Hill Parkway, airport employment lands, the city’s poverty round table and Randle Reef cleanup.

Speculation had swirled about whether Di Ianni, who has remained outspoken on civic issues, would join fellow former mayor Fred Eisenberger in the eight-candidate race.

Di Ianni says he was “leaned on very heavily by responsible people who think I have something to contribute.”

He expects to throw his support behind a candidate but hasn’t decided who that will be.

Di Ianni started his political life as a Stoney Creek councillor and served one term on Hamilton council after amalgamation before becoming mayor by defeating political heavyweight David Christopherson.

He then took an unsuccessful run as a Liberal candidate in the 2008 federal election, losing to the NDP’s Wayne Marston in Hamilton East-Stoney Creek.

“It will be a different experience not being on the ballot, but I expect to be involved,” said Di Ianni. “Most of the nominated candidates have reached out to me. There are good candidates stepping forward and I expect more will come.”

Both he and his wife were surprised by her support for another run for mayor, says Di Ianni, who has spent his time away from politics volunteering and operating a government relations consulting business.

“She was advocating most strongly that I go for it. … She sees how I light up around political issues. But she’s happy with my decision.”

Di Ianni was mayor from 2003 to 2006. He lost to Eisenberger in an election campaign clouded by Di Ianni’s violations of election expenses laws.

The Stoney Creek father of three says he had already made his decision when he heard of the sudden death of just-retired federal finance minister Jim Flaherty on Thursday.

“It drove home the point that there is a start to one’s life and an end to one’s life. If you continue the hurly-burly activities and push the limits, it doesn’t extend your life. The end point is always there,” said Di Ianni.